What makes Star Trek�s science work?

Star Trek has Andre Bormanis, who knows science but also understands how to try to apply that in dramatic context.

They�ve always had a science consultant on hand, which is terrific for the writers if they conceive an idea and need to apply some science to it. It also is terrific because you�ve got someone that you can take to lunch who can ramble on about really fascinating scientific concepts. Then you can say, �Gee, that�s fantastic, I can make that into an episode.� It�s a terrific resource.

Having that basis in science just lends the entire series a foundation of reality that is one of the great appeals of the show. It�s always been very honest about rejecting stories that didn�t have a foundation in real science. They don�t like to go into things that are magical per se, they want things that have a basis in real cosmology and the like.